Southside Regroups, Wins In Second Game

May 8, 1991|By MIKE ROSENWALD, Special to the Sun-Sentinel

PEMBROKE PINES -- For coach Fred Jones and his Southside (NU)3 Big League team, opening day looked like it was going to be a dismal one as Southside dropped the first game of a doubleheader to Pembroke Pines (NU)2 7-2. Things changed for the better, though, as Southside rallied to win the nightcap 4-3 in extra innings.

``In the first game, I think we had the jitters,`` Jones said. ``We couldn`t hit the ball when we needed to, and guys just couldn`t get on base.

``In the second game, though, we played much better. We got the hits when we needed to and we did the fundamental things better.``

The doubleheader opened the American Division season Sunday, while the National Division starts this weekend. The season concludes in August with the Big League World Series in Fort Lauderdale.

Southside trailed 2-0 entering the top of the third inning in the second game, but got three back-to-back hits from Owen Boyce, Enarxis ``Zoro`` Fernandez and John Green, all three of whom scored to make it 3-2.

Pembroke Pines then tied the game in the fourth inning after a Tony Simone triple, but failed to shut down Southside in the top of the eighth after Andy Wilcox scored the game-winning run on Ismail Hernandez`s single to center field.

Pines had a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth with Dean St. Louis on second and one out, but John Adams flied out to right field and St. Louis attempted to score from second but was thrown out.

``We didn`t hit the ball and we couldn`t get any runners on base,`` said Pines coach Mark May after the second game. ``We played them the same way we did the (first game) but we just couldn`t execute.``

May, in his first year as a Big League manager, leads an inexperienced team with only two players who aren`t rookies -- John Fitzwilliam and J.J. Thompson. The two lead the pitching staff.

Fitzwilliam started the first game for Pines, allowing one earned run and striking out eight batters while only giving up six hits and one walk. Thompson didn`t fair as well in the second game as he gave up five extra-base hits while walking four.

St. Louis, who was 3 for 4 in the first game, said it was difficult playing after only having two practices.

``I can say one thing, it`s a lot easier than high school,`` he said.

Jones said Southside`s greatest asset is starting pitching, with Wilcox his ace.

``We like to call Andy `Nolan Ryan` because he throws the ball so hard,`` he said. Wilcox struck out 10 batters in the first game.

``If this team plays hard like we did in the second game we will win a lot of games and be successful. But until then we`ll just have to wait and see,`` Jones said.